


Chasing an Echo

by Moriavis



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Bottom!Barry, Fix-It, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Time Travel, Top!Leonard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-13 11:12:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12982818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moriavis/pseuds/Moriavis
Summary: Barry went back to Siberia one more time.





	Chasing an Echo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lutavero](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutavero/gifts).



> Writing for the exchange fic this year has been wild. This wasn't my original idea, but let's just say this was an interesting few months.
> 
> I had a couple of prompts to work with, and ended up using canon divergence and smut with feels, so... I hope this hits the spot!
> 
> Saekhwa, as always, holds my hand, and has no idea how much I truly appreciate her.

~*~

Barry shuddered, his breath a cloud of fog before him. The suit kept most of the cold at bay, but there was just enough chill in the air for him to second guess his choices. Leonard hadn't seen him yet, so he could still turn around and run back to his present. The thought wasn't as appealing as it used to be.

Leonard stopped where he was, and Barry let his last chance to leave slip through his fingers when Leonard turned, pinning Barry with a narrow, suspicious look.

"Forget something?"

Barry pushed back his mask and shook his head. "No."

Leonard tilted his head, but thankfully, he let Barry off the hook. "And your girlfriend? How did your little plan work out?"

"I don't know if I can call Iris my anything anymore." Barry shrugged. "I sent her to an alternate earth so she'd be safe. I don't think she's going to forgive me for taking her out of the fight."

"My condolences," Leonard said. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see you again." Barry could have hit himself for his choice of words, because he could see the wheels turning behind Leonard's eyes. 1892 was a long way to go for a social call.

Leonard watched Barry for a second longer and then turned on his heel, stalking toward the Waverider. "Come on."

Barry frowned. There were a thousand reasons why he shouldn't follow, but he was already here, and he knew Leonard wouldn't hurt him. Not really. Leonard may have been irritated at their easy camaraderie, but they had both grown too much to consider each other enemies anymore.

He kept his eyes on Leonard's back, trying to get an idea of what Leonard was thinking as they walked up the gangway. The ship was empty, the other members of the Legends still busy with their mission, and Leonard didn't bother to give Barry a tour, leading him directly to his room. It was kind of utilitarian — a bed along one side, a small closet space with several pieces of dark clothes hanging inside it. There was a single picture by Leonard's bedside of Lisa, but other than that there were no personal touches.

"Gideon?" Leonard removed the cold gun from its holster around his thigh and started the process of unfastening it. 

Barry's attention was drawn to the elegance of Leonard's fingers moving across the buckles with familiar ease, and then he realized he was staring. He jerked his attention away, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes, Mr. Snart?"

"Lock the door." Leonard lifted the holster onto a hook protruding from the wall, and he set the cold gun carefully in its case. "When the others come back, let them know I'm otherwise occupied."

"Very well, Mr. Snart. I'll inform the others when they've returned."

"Thank you." Leonard snapped the latches shut on the cold gun case and then turned toward Barry. There was a pause, the air thick between them, and Barry tried not to look at Leonard, tried not to think that the door was locked. He could phase through it if necessary, of course, but— 

"All right. Out with it."

Barry blinked and refocused his attention on Leonard. "I'm sorry?"

Leonard shrugged, a bare tilt of his shoulder. "I'm sentimental. It's a failing." 

Barry shook his head. "I don't--"

"I get it." Leonard sat on his bed and looked at Barry. "You didn't police me in your lab. I pieced things together. Add that to the fact you'd rather come to Siberia then search me out in Central, well. Not that hard to figure out I'm not around."

"Snart—"

"Get whatever it is you want off your chest. One time offer."

Barry scoffed, looking around the room again to avoid Leonard's eyes, his chest aching. He shouldn't have come. It was so easy to get stuck in the circular arguments, that missing someone made it all right to change things, but he'd always been proven wrong. He still wasn't wise enough to resist it.

Barry sat down next to Leonard and interlaced his fingers, staring down at his gloves. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Leonard's voice was softer, his sly lilt muted, and Barry's eyes stung and blurred.

"For reminding you that you're a good person. That you're a hero."

"Barry." 

Barry glanced over at Leonard, and his gaze dropped to the curve of Leonard's smirk. 

"Do you really think you're responsible for the choices I make?"

Barry rolled his eyes. "I'm not that full of myself. But I can't help wondering sometimes if I gave you the nudge you needed."

"I'm an adult," Leonard said. "I don't bother making choices I regret." 

“If you really know what happened, then you should understand where I'm coming from." There was an ache, a bitterness deep in Barry's chest, and he frowned as he fought the urge to scowl. "I always thought that we'd… I don't know. I guess when I thought I could convince you to be better, what I really meant was that you'd work with me. Not that you'd join a team on a time ship and fly through history."

Leonard didn't say anything to that, but he scooted over the inch or two between them until their thighs were pressed together. Barry's eyes stung and blurred, and he rubbed the heel of his palm against his eyes.

"I miss you." Barry's face crumpled, and he buried his face in his hands, his shoulders drawing in. "It's so stupid. I thought there was no way it could get worse after Thawne, and it's always worse. It's _always_ worse. Zoom, Savitar — how can I face Iris, knowing that some future me is trying to kill her? And you're _dead_. I have to steal time to even see you."

"Even I've learned that time doesn't like it when things don't go the way they're supposed to." 

Leonard rested his hand on Barry's back, and Barry turned without thinking, wrapping his arms around Leonard's waist and burying his head against his shoulder. Leonard stiffened, but Barry just squeezed him tighter, his face burning hot as he began to cry in earnest.

"I hate it," Barry said fiercely, his voice muffled by Leonard's jacket. "Why do I have to lose so _much_?"

Leonard sighed, his gloved hand rising to cover the back of Barry's neck. "I got into your head." He squeezed Barry's nape, and Barry shuddered with a fresh wave of tears. "People like you shouldn't cry like this for people like me."

Barry jerked away, just far enough to glare at Leonard. "Don't you think I know that? I hate crying like this. I hate that you mean so much to me when all you've done is betray me and hurt me and my friends. I don't even know _why_ —"

"Don't you?" Those two words made Barry silent, and he scrubbed another tear from his cheek. Leonard's eyes glittered, the lines of his face soft. On someone else Barry might have used the word vulnerable. 

Leonard cupped Barry's face and gently wiped Barry's tears away with his thumb, slowly, like he wasn't sure he was allowed to touch, and Barry raised his hand to cover Leonard's. They sat there awkwardly on the bed, half turned toward each other, and Barry pushed against Leonard's hands to rest his forehead against Leonard's, to close his eyes as he tried to memorize the warmth radiating from Leonard's gloved palms.

"What would you do if you were in my position?" Barry asked hoarsely.

"You're asking the wrong person for advice, kid." Leonard laughed softly, his thumb still moving over Barry's cheek, back and forth, like a caress. "I'd take what I want. Especially if there was no one to stop me."

"Of course you would." Barry laughed, barely a breath, and Leonard smiled, the curve of his mouth so small that Barry almost missed it. 

His heart thumped hard in his chest, and he tilted his head, closing the distance between them with a soft kiss. Leonard's mouth was chapped from the cold, but it made a shiver of heat race down Barry's spine. 

He pulled away, embarrassed and focused on the small details of Leonard's face: the silver strands in his short hair, the fan of his eyelashes closed against his cheek, the fine lines creasing the corners of his eyes. Leonard opened his eyes, exhaling a soft huff of surprise.

"Didn't think you had it in you." Leonard's voice was still smooth, unruffled, but Barry had lost his words. Kissing Leonard shouldn't have felt so nice. 

He met Leonard's eyes again with a startled new awareness, and whatever Leonard saw in Barry's face made him tighten his hands against Barry's jaw. Barry grabbed a handful of Leonard's jacket and pulled him forward into a harder kiss, and this time Leonard kissed him back.

Barry flushed with heat, his breath coming fast with nervousness, and then Leonard softened, lips parting to catch at Barry's with a tenderness that caught Barry off guard. It made Barry ache all over again, and he loosened his death grip on Leonard's jacket as he chased after the tease of Leonard's mouth, the promise of his tongue and teeth. They paused to pull away, to gain enough space to breathe, and it was a relief to see Leonard breathing faster, that at least in this they were on equal footing.

"Yeah?" Leonard released Barry's jaw, settling his hands on Barry's shoulders, a cautiousness in his eyes that Barry wanted to chase away. 

"Yeah," Barry said, and something settled in him the moment he made his decision, a relief that was almost inevitable. He wanted this, and the only thing between them now was time. 

Barry leaned forward again, pressing soft kisses to Leonard's mouth as he pushed Leonard's jacket from his shoulders, and Leonard moved just as carefully, sliding a hand up Barry's back until he found the zipper and tugged it down, exposing Barry's back. Barry sped up with a crackle of lightning, scrambling out of the suit and kicking it off the end of the bed before he struggled with Leonard's boots, unlacing them and pulling them off.

Leonard was leaning on his elbows, watching Barry with amusement when he finally slowed down. Barry cleared his throat, struggling with the embarrassment of his excitement, but Leonard only smirked, looking Barry over, from his mussed hair to the boxers that sat low on his hips. Leonard swung up onto the bed, settling his back against the wall, and tugged Barry after him, tilting his head back for a kiss Barry was only too glad to give him. Barry straddled Leonard's lap as they traded slow, unhurried kisses, and Barry sighed as Leonard swept his gloved hands up and down Barry's back in an easy, soothing gesture that Barry couldn't resist. He melted against Leonard, curling his arms around Leonard's shoulders and rocking his hips against Leonard's jeans, a low moan dragging from his throat at the friction.

"Damn." Leonard pulled his gloves off with his teeth and tossed them aside, sliding his hands up Barry's sides — the warmth of his hands on Barry's skin was almost too good. He was already hard, his boxers growing damp and clinging with his pre-come, and then Leonard scraped the nails of one hand down Barry's spine, and Barry shivered at the race of goosebumps that followed. Leonard's other hand closed tight on Barry's hip and guided him into another thrust. "Can you come just from this?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to." Barry swallowed and then let his forehead fall to Leonard's shoulder. "If this is the only chance I have, I don't want to waste it."

Something flickered in Leonard's eyes, but Barry didn't want to decipher it, scooting back on Leonard's thighs so he could get access to the button on his fly. Leonard was heavy against Barry's palm, not quite hard, and Barry's mouth watered. "I want to suck you."

Leonard laughed, almost affectionately. "Sure thing, kid. Right after Gideon gives us some condoms."

"Gideon?" Barry asked as he pulled down Leonard's jeans, discarding them over the side of the bed as carelessly as he did his uniform.

"Yes, Mr. Allen?"

"I'm clean. Is Snart?" He crawled back up Leonard's body to kiss the sour look from his face, the unhappy pout he got because Barry wasn't listening to him.

"Mr. Snart is healthy," Gideon said helpfully, and Barry hummed, licking his way into Leonard's mouth until Leonard kissed him back, his hands hot against Barry's skin as he teased along the edges of Barry's boxers.

"Please," Barry whispered against Leonard's mouth, and he was rewarded when Leonard groaned and tilted Barry's head to mouth at his throat, making Barry shiver all over again.

"Just something about you," Leonard murmured before he bit at the juncture of Barry's neck and shoulder. "Makes me contrary."

"Hate to break it to you, but you're a contrary kind of guy." Barry caught the edge of Leonard's thermal shirt, anxious to feel more skin, and Leonard caught his wrist in one hand, gentle enough not to hurt but just enough of a warning that Barry stopped. "What is it?"

"It's… not gonna be pretty."

Barry thought instantly of Lisa, of the scar she'd so reluctantly shown at STAR Labs, and his heart ached all over again. "It's okay," he said. "No pressure."

Leonard pulled Barry in, kissed him so sweetly that it made Barry want to cry again, and Barry let go of Leonard's shirt, inching back down the bed until he could take Leonard's cock in hand, stroking him with a soft, exploratory grip. Leonard's jaw clenched, but he reached out and caressed Barry's hair before he guided Barry down.

Leonard tasted slightly bitter, salt and skin against Barry's tongue, and he played with the head of Leonard's cock for a moment, teasing the slit and tilting his head to suck kisses along the length. It was gratifying to feel Leonard harden at his touch, and when Barry finally slid his lips over the head of Leonard's cock and sucked, he was rewarded with a soft curse and Leonard's hand tightening in his hair.

Barry moaned and closed his eyes, curling his hand around the base of Leonard's cock and working his way down, choking himself a little before he eased up for a breath, and then back down. He snuck his hand down the front of his boxers, his skin already slick when he grabbed himself, and he moaned again as he worked into a rhythm, thrusting against his palm as he sucked on Leonard. It was only when Leonard yanked a little too hard on Barry's hair that he pulled off, panting, lips swollen, so close to the edge that every muscle in his body was tense with the anticipation of his climax. 

Leonard kissed Barry hard, using his grip in Barry's hair to control the angle, and he pushed Barry's hands firmly away, shoving Barry's boxers down on his thighs so that he could take Barry in hand. Leonard's fingers around him were almost too much, and Barry whined into the kiss, grabbing handfuls of the blankets on the bed to keep himself anchored. He could barely breathe, his arms trembling, and he exhaled a sound of desperate relief when he orgasmed, each pulse of come making Leonard's hand slicker. He couldn't even be annoyed that he came so fast, not with the way Leonard was still kissing him, as if he couldn't get enough.

Leonard dragged Barry forward, back into the cradle of his thighs, and leaned in, scraping his teeth against Barry's collarbone, ducking lower to suck Barry's nipple. He was slow, methodical, tugging Barry's hair and skimming his nails over the length of Barry's neck, and Barry trembled, releasing the blankets only to grab Leonard's shoulders. He rocked his hips, teasing the both of them until Leonard's hands settled on his hips and tightened, and they both groaned as their erections slid together. It wasn't nearly enough.

"Do you, uh, have anything?" Barry asked, and then he laughed, a soft, self-deprecating thing that made Leonard smirk in turn.

"I don't travel through time to get laid," Leonard said dryly. _Unlike some people_ , was implied, and Barry bit Leonard's bottom lip sharply in reprimand.

"Gideon, is there any"—Barry's face flamed red as he realized what he was saying, and Leonard chuckled, his pale eyes gleaming with amusement—"lubrication we could use on the ship?"

"I can create what you need in the medbay dispensary," Gideon offered, and Barry nodded.

"Sounds good," he said, and he impulsively curled his hand against Leonard's face, cupping his jaw and reeling him in for another kiss. Leonard's five o'clock shadow scraped Barry's palm, and he kissed Leonard again. "Don't move. I'll be right back." 

A crackle of lightning, and he pulled up his boxers, phased through the door and into the medbay where Gideon guided him. He thought he'd be more embarrassed, running through the Waverider with hardly anything on, but he was consumed by the passage of each second, how much longer they had before Barry was forced to let Leonard go.

He grabbed the lube and shot straight back into Leonard's room. Leonard hadn't moved, his attention turned toward the door like he'd been waiting patiently. Barry straddled him again, dropping the lube on the bed next to him. Leonard jerked a little, like he'd been shocked, but in the next second he was touching Barry again like he hadn't stopped, smoothing his hands down Barry's sides and leaving goosebumps on Barry's skin.

"Fantastic," Leonard breathed. 

He patted Barry's back, encouraging him to swap places, and Barry got onto his hands and knees, swallowing back an abrupt wave of nervousness. The blankets and pillows all smelled like Leonard, and he fought the urge to bury his face against Leonard's pillowcases. Leonard rubbed circles against the small of his back, soothing him, and then there were Leonard's fingers, slick and careful, easing into him.

Barry moaned, dropping his forehead to the pillows as Leonard stretched him, his long, articulate fingers moving with careful precision. He tried to move his hips back to meet him, to speed it along, but Leonard planted his hand firmly on Barry's back to keep him in place and leaned over him, dusting a kiss against Barry's shoulder. Barry raised his head, casting a look over his shoulder at Leonard.

"When do you expect the others to—"

Leonard pressed another kiss to Barry's back. "Don't worry about that." He added more lubricant, twisting his fingers, and Barry shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut. Leonard's breath was a warm tease against his skin, and Barry turned into it, rewarded by the press of Leonard's lips against his temple. "Still in?"

Barry nodded. "Still in." 

He clutched a handful of sheets when Leonard withdrew his fingers. They shifted together again, Leonard caressing Barry's thigh, and then he pushed slowly in. He was as careful in this as he was in everything else, and Barry hardly felt any pain at all, just the stretch, the heat of Leonard's body pressing against him. He was dizzy with it, the cautious twitches and movements as Leonard rocked his hips, the way he opened around Leonard's erection like he'd been made for it. He whined as Leonard ground his hips against Barry's ass, going as deep as he could before he curled an arm around Barry's waist and pressed kisses against Barry's throat and jaw.

"There," Leonard breathed. "You feel—"

"Yeah," Barry agreed, rocking his hips back so he could feel the glide of Leonard inside him. "You, too." Leonard's shirt was still annoying, but Barry let it go as they began to move together, the fabric dragging against Barry's back and teasing him with sensation.

Leonard thrust again, a slow sweet burn that made Barry moan, and Leonard splayed his hand on Barry's chest, pushing them flush together as he interlaced his fingers with Barry's other hand, still caught in the sheets. Barry stopped thinking about when the rest of the team would arrive at the Waverider, stopped thinking of the small window of time that was closing around them as they did this. Leonard shifted his hips and stroked past Barry's prostate, and Barry clenched tight around him as he blinked spots from his eyes. His palms slid on the bedding and he went down to his forearms, Leonard following after him and refusing to relinquish the clasp of their hands, even as he pressed his forehead between Barry's shoulder blades.

Leonard's hand tightened on Barry's as his rhythm grew rougher, and he panted for breath as he stilled entirely, his arm squeezing so tightly around Barry that Barry almost couldn't breathe. He whined, shifting impatiently beneath Leonard, and Leonard nipped the back of Barry's neck as he took Barry's erection back in hand.

Barry groaned, a soft, intense plea, and rocked between Leonard's hand, whimpering when Leonard softened and slid out, leaving him clenching around air. Leonard turned his face against Barry's neck and sucked hard, bringing to life a mark that would fade away in a matter of minutes, and Barry almost didn't care, because the pressure and suction of Leonard's mouth was worth it. He squirmed where he was, but Leonard had better leverage, and kept him pinned as he worked his hand over Barry's cock, swiping pre-come from the slit to ease his grip. Barry came only seconds after, every muscle clenching in sympathy as he thrust haphazardly into Leonard's fist, and he quivered, his muscles turning to jelly.

Barry tried not to care that he was collapsing into a damp spot of come and lube and sweat, and he squeezed Leonard's hand, twisting over onto his back so he could kiss Leonard for real. He kept the fingers of their joined hands interlaced, but he used his other hand to draw Leonard closer for a fervent kiss, then another and another.

"I don't want to go," he whispered. 

Leonard just shook his head, bending down to brush another kiss to Barry's lips. "Can't think like that, kid," he answered. "We can't stay, and you have to save someone, don't you?"

"Could you—" Barry bit off his words, embarrassed by his request, and Leonard pulled away, resting his weight on his forearm as he looked down at Barry with a cautious curiosity.

"Can't tell you no if you don't ask," Leonard teased, nuzzling Barry's jaw. 

Barry sighed, turning his head to kiss whatever part of Leonard he could reach. "Could you pretend?" he asked. "Just tell me that I'll see you later?"

Leonard kissed Barry again. It was so warm and gentle that Barry didn't want it to stop, already leaning in for a second kiss as Leonard was pulling away from the first. 

"Okay. You need to leave. The other Legends will be here any minute." Leonard pressed another kiss to Barry's lips, and Barry greedily accepted it, the play of Leonard's mouth and tongue against his. "I'll see you at home. I promise."

Barry smiled, even though his heart clenched hard in his chest. Pretending never helped anything. The Speed Force taught him that. "Don't suppose I can get a shower before I go?"

Leonard gestured in the direction of the bathroom, releasing Barry and rolling on his side. "There's only one—"

Barry flashed out of Leonard's room and into the bathroom, taking a one minute shower to get most of the semen off his skin. Then he was back in Leonard's room, and he suited up again before he moved back toward Leonard, like he had some magnetic pull he was unable to resist.

"Goodbye." Barry took Leonard's face in his hands and kissed him hard, desperately wanting to brand this last moment in his mind. He wouldn't be able to come back to this moment. He had to let Leonard go.

Barry ran.

Leonard, his bedroom, the Waverider all became distant thoughts in the back of his mind as he ran through the snow and woods, faster and faster until the wormhole finally grew into existence. On the other side was Iris, angry and betrayed; Killer Frost and Savitar, waiting to beat him down in his weakest moment. He was always running out of time.

He skidded to a stop inside the cortex at STAR Labs, ready to push through, to do what he needed to do, and he imagined that was why he was so surprised to see Caitlin at one of the consoles, hair and eyes still a deep brown, the snowflake necklace that Julian and Cisco had created fastened around her neck.

"Caitlin?" 

She turned toward the sound of her name and smiled. "Hey, Barry. Did you forget something?"

"I. Uh. Just wanted to see if we had any new leads on Savitar."

Caitlin frowned and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Savitar?"

They stared at each other and Barry shook his head, forcing a laugh. "Sorry, I'm a little confused. Where's Iris?"

Caitlin smiled sympathetically. "It's been rough for all of us. Iris went to meet Joe for lunch. She's working on a big story and didn't have time to drop by. Which she told all of us this morning."

"Right. Okay. Thanks for the heads up." Caitlin narrowed her eyes, and Barry panicked, running out of the cortex and to the future room, where Gideon's computer still stood. "Gideon?"

"Yes, Mr. Allen?"

He pulled off his mask and ran his hands through his hair. "How did I change the future?"

There was a moment's pause, and then Gideon projected a series of articles, all written by Iris West. There was a paper from two days ago, blaring the headline that Golden Glider and her Rogues had struck at Central National Fidelity Bank. Barry stared at the news articles, hoping that something would be enough to trigger his new memories, but he had nothing so far.

He went back to the cortex, snagging his phone from the corner of the main control console, and checked his messages, his contacts. Wally was still there, and Barry took a breath, closing his eyes against the relief. Iris, Cisco, Joe, Julian, Caitlin, Cecile — they were all there.

And one other.

"Barry, are you all right?" Caitlin stood and turned toward Barry. "You've been acting really strange."

"I'm fine." Barry forced himself to look at Caitlin, to smile at her for real. "Hey, I promise I'm okay." He pulled her in for a hug, and she huffed an unhappy breath before hugging him back.

"You know you can talk to us about anything," she said, pulling back and squeezing Barry's shoulder before she went back to her console. 

Just like it was any other day, Barry swapped out his costume for his clothes and headed out, using the GPS on his phone to find out what his home address was. It wasn't the loft that he had had with Iris, a smaller, more reasonably priced building, suitable for someone on a smaller budget. He had his keys, his wallet, so the best thing he could really do at the moment was go home and wait for his new memories to catch up.

He ran home on muscle memory and when he found his apartment with almost no trouble, the weight of some of his anxiety faded away. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, scanning over the lived in, comfortable chairs, the lightly scarred coffee table, and the sofa.

Leonard Snart was reading a book, draped over Barry's sofa like he belonged there.

"What the hell did I do?" Barry asked himself, and Leonard shot him a concerned look over the top of his book.

"Was it something I told you not to do?" 

Barry's face crumpled, and Leonard bolted upright. 

"Barry?"

"I just left you." He rubbed his eyes and Leonard tossed his book to the side, going to Barry and pulling him in for a hug. It was familiar in the way a dream was familiar, and he buried his face against Leonard's shoulder.

"I was wondering when it happened," Leonard said, squeezing the back of Barry's neck. "The paradox."

"How are you _here_?" Barry asked. 

Leonard sighed and slid his hands down Barry's arms, cupping his elbows. "You really thought I wasn't going to figure my way out?"

"Snart—"

"Len."

"What?"

"You call me Len." Leonard's hands were still gentle on Barry's arms, but he was tensing, one wrong move away from leaving. Maybe Barry should let him.

"Len. You didn't figure it out before." Barry frowned at Leonard, trying to reconcile Leonard Snart being in his apartment, being a contact on his phone. "Please, just tell me: how are you _here_?"

Leonard's gaze cut to the left and then he looked back at Barry, his jaw tensing. "Time is a mess of contradictions. The Speed Force protects the paradoxes you make." He released Barry and took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I know you have questions. I thought you were offering something more than a quickie back in Siberia, so I took you up on it."

"What about Savitar?" Barry asked. "And Iris?"

Leonard shrugged, looking away from Barry again. "I haven't seen anything about Savitar. He could only exist through a narrow set of circumstances. I guess we managed to dodge that bullet."

"Everyone's safe?" Barry asked again, something in him unable to accept that everything was all right, for once.

"Guess that depends on safe." Leonard tensed further, and Barry reached out, curling his hand around Leonard's arm. "Lisa stole the Rogues from me, but she's following the rules. Wally and Jesse are on vacation on Earth 2. Caitlin has her powers but hasn't turned yet." Leonard narrowed his eyes, his attention on Barry like a laser. "Do you need me to give you a PowerPoint presentation?"

"No." Barry shook his head and stepped into Leonard's space again. The way Leonard unwound to hug Barry almost immediately spoke volumes, and Barry breathed an exhausted sigh, turning his head and resting it on Leonard's shoulder. If missing Iris was the price for having everyone he cared about still safe and sound, it was worth the pain. "I'll remember everything eventually. I just need some time."

Leonard nodded, just enough for Barry to feel it, and kept his arms tight around Barry, like he was willing to stand there and hold him until Barry was strong enough to pull away. "Welcome home, Barry."

"Yeah. It's good to be back." Barry relaxed, leaning against Leonard as he took a deep breath. Whatever this was, he wanted to keep it.

~*~


End file.
